


5 Times Caleb Widogast Wasn't Married, +1 Time He Was

by aunt_zelda



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Arranged Marriage, Child Abuse, Extremely Dubious Consent, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Mental Institutions, Multi, survival sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2020-03-02 08:46:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18807745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aunt_zelda/pseuds/aunt_zelda
Summary: “It is a great honor she offers you. The Queen has not taken a new consort in several years.” Essik continues. “Many will be jealous of your position. But the other consorts will protect you, once you are one of them.”“Other …” Caleb shakes his head. “I am not … I cannot …”Essik fixes Caleb with a piercing stare. “Have you been married before, Caleb Widogast?”





	5 Times Caleb Widogast Wasn't Married, +1 Time He Was

**Author's Note:**

> So a few weeks back there was some talk/joking around about arranged marriages as part of the reward for bringing the dodecahedron back. I started this fic but didn't quite finish it. Got a burst of creativity today and decided to finish it off. Of course, it became extremely dark and angsty, rather than cute and ridiculous, because that's how it usually goes with my work.
> 
> If you feel I've neglected a tag, feel free to message me on tumblr or leave a comment here and I'll add it asap.

“She wants me to what?”

Essik considers Caleb like one might consider a puppy being trained simple commands. He speaks slowly and evenly. “Marriage to a higher rank is one of the greatest honors one can bestow upon someone who has done great service to the Dynasty. There has been much deliberation these weeks as to a suitable candidate, one that would not belittle your service, nor offend those of dens who are quite resistant to people from the Empire, even defectors such as yourself.” 

Caleb struggles to process this information. “But I am …”

“It is a great honor she offers you. The Queen has not taken a new consort in several years.” Essik continues. “Many will be jealous of your position. But the other consorts will protect you, once you are one of them.”

“Other …” Caleb shook his head. “I am not … I cannot …”

Essik fixes Caleb with a piercing stare. “Have you been married before, Caleb Widogast?”

Caleb blinks. 

 

1\. 

They’re children, weaving strands of grass together into a loop, binding their hands together like they saw Astrid’s cousin and her husband doing that morning. 

“I promise,” says Astrid, with all the confidence of a ten year old.

“I promise,” says Bren, with all the certainty of a ten year old. 

Eodwulf waves his hands and mumbles what he thought he heard the priest saying and they all collapse into giggles. 

 

2\. 

They’re huddling together in a single bed, under their single shared blanket. Astrid is pretending not to cry. Eodwulf is helping to set Bren’s arm back into the socket. Bren is biting down on a piece of cloth. Today was a bad day. 

When it’s over, their hands find each other, tangling fingers even though Wulf’s fingers are sore and bruised and Astrid still has splints on three of her fingers. 

“Someday we’re going to be more powerful than him.” Bren whispers, so soft only they can hear. 

“And we’ll go far away from this place.” Astrid says. 

“And live in a cottage together.” Wulf completes.

This is their comfort. They repeat it over and over to each other over the years. 

 

3\. 

He fades in and out of consciousness in the asylum. Days and nights bleed together. Seasons pass him by. Other patients come and go. Some return, some do not. 

Millicent sidles up to him one day when he’s sitting in the sunshine, looking out the window at nothing. She chatters away and Bren nods vaguely when she pauses. Millicent declares him her best friend, her very favorite, her cuddly cat man sunning himself in the window. 

Bren reels and it’s a week later and Millicent is holding his hand and feeding him berries from breakfast. She calls him “husband” and he doesn’t call her anything. 

A man comes to the asylum. He looks sad and tries to talk to Millicent and she turns away, crying, calling out for Bren. The man looks even sadder and leaves. 

Bren pushes Millicent away: she won’t get better by clinging to him. 

Millicent cries and the nurses separate them. 

 

4\. 

The shelter is little more than three walls and a roof built to keep the rain and snow off travelers on the road. Caleb staggers inside and finds it already occupied, and a fire crackling in the pit in the ground. 

The man looks him up and down and smiles. His teeth glint in the firelight. 

Caleb considers the chilly night and his threadbare coat. He sits down beside the fire. 

Later, the man pulls him close. He moans and whimpers and pets Caleb and calls him by someone else’s name. 

In the morning, the man cooks food for them both. He drops a handful of coins by Caleb’s feet, and leaves without a word. 

 

5\. 

Nott is drunk. Nott is stinking drunk tonight. She crawls onto his chest and snuffles and rubs at his face with her hands. “Yeza, you should shave,” she whines. She presses a sloppy kiss to his mouth and settles in for sleep. 

Caleb pats her back and cards his fingers through her hair. 

She starts to snore. 

In the morning neither of them speak of it. 

 

+1

Caleb blinks. 

The Bright Queen is radiant. She glows with untold numbers of gems and what can only be a magical aura. She looks poised and regal and actually happy. 

Caleb is baffled as to why she’s happy. Even shaved and scrubbed and dressed in silks he’s no match for the people in her court. He’s already seen a few of them casting jealous looks in his direction. 

The ceremony is unlike any he’s seen before. There are words to recite, bites of food and sips of drink to consume, and jewelry to be exchanged – a ring for her, a thick necklace for him. He kneels to accept the necklace from her, and it’s only his training from the Academy that keeps him still when she latches the cold metal around his neck. He’s seized with panic that it’s strangling him, but he calms himself before anyone else can notice.

He has done this before. He can do this again … 

She pulls him close for a kiss. Her lips are warm and her hands are kind. 

… maybe this time it will be different.


End file.
